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It Takes More Than a Bike PathPublished: Monday, July 14, 2008 7:32 PM PDT We've got great weather, we've got great scenery, we've got hundreds of miles of bike lanes, and thousands of fit and healthy people. Bicycling in San Diego SHOULD be great. So why isn't it? Don't get me wrong - bicycling in San Diego could be a lot worse. Judging by the number of riders on any Saturday along Pacific Coast Highway, many people feel like bicycling around here isn't so bad. But when you compare the percentage of people who ride to work in San Diego versus other parts of the country, it's clear we have a long way to go. Even Fresno is doing better than we are. What do they have that we don't? Portland started ten years ago with the same general configuration as San Diego, but with a commitment to make bicycling better. The number of bicycle commuters in Portland has doubled in the last ten years. One effort to do that is the SANDAG Regional Bike Plan, underway right now. You can comment online at www.sandag.org/bicycleplan (www.sandag.org/bicycleplan). Those comments will go into creating the blueprint for bicycling in San Diego County for the next 20 years, so think big! KATHY KEEHAN
27 Comments so far on this story...
I think it's necessary to create better bikeways and some ways to do that are to first, dedicate some roads as ''recommended'' bikeways. These could parallel major roads or would be city streets and alleys that could offer reasonable access. Two: set aside buses for hill climbs; one that could take bikes up Texas St. from Mission Valley for instance; 7 days a week dawn til late, for cheap. Focus on the nexus of public transit with the bike. Three: Begin an ad campaign against road rage and prosecute those who injure cyclists. Four: Encourage a yearly bike race--a Tour de San Diego to make riding cool. Five: Allow for locker rooms where cyclists can change clothes, shower and lock a bike. Six: Ease restrictions on pedicabs; they're bikes too, and if pedestrians use them, they're part of the bike scene. We need to do more than 'Think Big' by commenting on SANDAG's 'blueprint' to possibly be implemented 20 years from now. We need serious action to be taken in the form of linking our communities with bike paths that provide enough room for bicyclists to ride safe, access roads that are direct and not 10 circuitous detours around freeways, and laws with stiff penalties for inattentive drivers who injure or kill bicyclists. We also need a strong advocacy groups gifted in organizing our bicycling community. Ones who do more than write letters that get no attention to issues when the Board of Supervisors or City Council takes action on whether there will be bike lanes on our most congested main access roads. As Kathy knows, the improvements in Portland, Seattle, Davis, etc. did not just drop out of the sky. It took city, county, and state cooperation, coupled with a widespread desire for change. I've only lived in San Diego a short time, but I'm already seeing that many of our public officials just don't seem to be interested in making the city or region bike friendly. It's not a conversation they seem interested in having. Nor does the general public seem especially willing to force the issue. Kathy, you and the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition are doing great work, but until gas hits $6/gallon and/or we get a mayor or city council that's willing to make this issue more central, it's going to be a tough fight. Change can come from below, but to get things done, we also need cooperative public officials. Thanks for discussing this critical issue. I used to commute downtown on my bike from IB in the 80s. Except for a few minor improvements (the area around Sweetwater River) the eastern bayshore bikeway is in the same condition it was 20 years ago. It is not just about bike paths--it is about making sure families have safe streets for pedestrians and bicyclists and providing safe and secure access to bike paths. A good example is South San Diego where access to bike paths is hindered by unsafe conditions in South Chula Vista and South San Diego and Imperial Beach (Palm Ave, Main Street and Satellite Blvd). Luckily Greg Cox and the Bayshore Bike Committee are working on this but it strikes me that we spend a miniscule amount on anything other than highways. Serge Dedina Wildcoast Who wants a better way to go see the annual MCAS Miramar Air Show? Pedal to the Air Show debuts this year, featuring a secure Bicycle Parking system conveniently located adjacent to the Flight Line entrance to the Show. Grab your bike and helmet and ride by the gridlock line of cars. The whole family can Pedal to the Air Show. More information at the SDCBC website link One of the problems here is that bike lanes adjacent to roadways offer little protection against inattentive and impatient motorists who don't want to slow down as they approach. In Colorado, the bike paths are separate from the roadways, and that greatly enhances not only the riding experience but also the safety of cycling enthusiasts. My husband was a merit badge advisor for Boy Scouts earning the cycling badge, and I accompanied him and them on several 25-50 mile bike rides. Cycling across freeway onramps on Friars Road, for example, was a scary experience with these kids. I think more kids should be bicycling to school, but parents are fearful for their safety in these bike lanes. In your examples, not only does Davis have no hills, but neither does Sacramento or Fresno. And while Portland does have some hills, it doesn't have the network of steep canyons among mesas that define the San Diego topography. Portland is also less than half the size of San Diego (145 sq mi vs 372 sq mi for San Diego). It would be interesting to select 1,000 San Diegans and 1,000 Portlanders (Portlandians?) at random, and compare their average commute length, and average elevation gain during the commute. Unless those two averages are about the same, I don't think it's fair to say that "Portland started ten years ago with the same general configuration as San Diego". That said, any reasonably fit San Diegan should be able to be able to bike commute if their one-way commute is, say, 15 miles or less, hills or no hills. So, are the police getting involved in helping motorists understand that bikes belong and that cars DON'T RULE THE ROAD, and are we going to finally see discourteous and law breaking bicyclists get "educated"? Does San Diego have a ticket deferral/traffic school system for people who get a traffic ticket for bicycling illegally? So that instead of paying a fine they have to go to a training program to learn about why they should bike legally...? Comment for the developers/administr of this site. First,thanks. Second, please consider changing the verification code system to eliminate or more clearly identify when a "0" is a zero and when "o" is an O (the letter o). It seems that when I see the "o" and enter a letter "o" it apparently is supposed to have been a zero. Very frustrating... well, not as frustrating as other things, but still could be better. Thanks. My husband and I bike for recreation and we commute. We put more miles on our bikes last year than our cars. You can not believe the health and general well-being we experience. However, I have cycled all over the world and have experienced some of the nastiest drivers in San Diego. While many are polite, cautious and considerate, there is a self-centered group who believe they are entitled to the road. With larger vehicles and wider car door zones, bicyclist have less of a safety zone. Drivers need to understand whey we need to take the lane in some areas. 1. We can do it in San Diego. Steal do not reinvent the wheel. I am sure Fresno, Seattle, etc would share their blueprint. It has to start with the city leaders. 2. Educate on tv and radio. Some drivers Some drivers have the attitude of, "get out of my way," versus safely share the road. Drivers and riders need knowledge. More police presence in general is needed. People need consequences for their bad behavior. The biggest reasons I’ve heard people give for not bicycle commuting are too many flats and that they are afraid of cars. If the City would maintain funding for street maintenance, including street sweeping, flats shouldn’t be an issue. During four years in Davis I never had a flat. Of course, in San Diego I’ve had many. A story in the Wall Street Journal reported that the rate of car-related bike accidents has been going down, as more people have taken up riding. There is strength in numbers, so more people should join us in commuting by bike. A caveat: I don't even live in SD anymore. I'm retired & live near Julian. BUT, for 10 years I lived in the city & rode a bike to work every day, 20 miles RT+/-. There were no bike paths; I rode on the streets, respected drivers' right to be there, & rode responsibly with the assumption that they would respect mine as well. Two of your points jumped out: 1)the commitment Portland made (& continues to make) toward bicycle transportation, & 2)the potential value of programs to get the populace thinking concretely as well as creatively about it. SD has never endorsed the idea (indeed, the city seems to have trouble making a bonafide commitment to much of anything!). Most of all, government & the driving-addicted public suffer from a failure of imagintion. It's the same rut that bogs down so much initiative for change in this Kathy, in your opinion, what is the most important thing the City of San Diego can do to encourage bicycling? I can tell you why San Diego is not a good cycling city, at least for me: it's entirely too dangerous to ride here. When younger, I was a cycling addict in San Diego for 25 years: racing, club riding, multiweek touring, mountain biking... I even had a business in cycling for several years. Now, though, I have a family. I can't take the risk of getting out on the roads, knowing that, every time I ride, some tens or hundreds of incompetent drivers will pass by within three feet of my fragile life. I've known many dozens of cyclists who have been badly injured, and a few who have died -- one dear -- and I can't expose my family to the risk that I will be one of that long list. That's a shame, because I once loved cycling. Having seen two of my friends killed by rock quarry dumptrucks while riding on Friars road, I believe that we need a network of bike paths that are seperated from our roadway system altogether. In some areas of the region, that can be done by reusing old trolley line rights of way, as we do between PB and La Jolla. A bicyclist should be able to get from any point in the region to any other point without having to get on streets with cars and trucks. No matter how brightly bicyclists dress, drivers don't pay attention and in any contact between a multi-ton car or truck and a bike, the bike rider always loses. I've been riding San Diego County streets for many years, and I will probably always love to ride. But it seems that angry and inattentive drivers are growing in number and scaring off others who would join us bicyclists. Our streets are over-crowded and there's nothing we can do to keep cars off. So I think we need an education campaign to bombard drivers daily with "share the road" messages. Keep reminding car drivers that they don't own the road, that they have to share. Advertisers have a huge amount of power for planting messages in our brains. Bicyclists should have our own advertising campaign. Maybe local hospitals and health care providers would be interested in helping fund such safety messages. I have lived and bicycled in Seattle, Cincinnati, LA and San Diego. San Diego is the most dangerous city, due to having more than its share of aggressive drivers who are beligerent to bicyclists. These drivers yell, throw things, or accelerate/pass close to cyclists to vent their frustration. Part of me wonders why San Diegans are such bad people. Certainly, San Diego has incredible weather for cycling, and I'm surprised San Diegans havent created a more bike friendly city, such as Portland or Seattle. Our politicians are too conservative, perhaps. Seems that maybe conservatives are less likely to promote biking. San Diego is a wonderful city for cycling. The weather is near perfect, the roads are wide and not burdened, the vast majority of motorists are helpful and courteous. We are lucky to live in a city that is as "cycling perfect" as San Diego.... .... Making it better: Educating motorists, cyclists, truckers, motorcyclists, pedestrians that we all belong, that we all need to operate our vehicles in a respectful and law abiding manner. For cyclists that means stopping at stop signs/lights, using hand signals, lights at night, proper lane positioning and all the rest. Education takes many forms, for anyone concerned about riding in traffic, Kathy's SDCBC offers free Road 1 and Road II courses. In addition, I would like to see Public Service announced on TV and Radio discussing issues like taking the lane and the door zone. Have a good ride. :) Kathy et. al. I would like to Public Service Announcements that addressed some basic road way issues: The door zone, the need for cyclists to take the lane, proper Bike Lane usage for both cyclists and motorists, the need for cyclists to stop at lights and signs. For example, I see both cyclists and motorists who are not aware that a car should make a right turn from a right hand bike lane and that a bike should not be in the right turn lane if going straight through. A simple 30 second blurb is a video of a car slipping in behind a cyclist who is making a right turn. Another blurb could show a cyclist looking back, signaling and then moving into the straight through lane approaching an intersection. The two important concepts are that bikes belong and that bikes behave... A century ago, the AAA was started as a club of interested auto drivers who raised money for roads, bridges, maps, services, etc. They got clout fast. Same needs to happen today. An earlier poster mentioned politicians don't want to have conversations about cycle lanes; this is unsurprising since those who own them have zero interest in them either. But since the democratic process works sometimes, especially when primed with money, its time to get cyclists on board, work the pols, join Critical Mass, take back the streets and generally become a big, loud pain in the butt until the diseased dwarves in office listen and come round and do the right things. No one will give us anything; we take what we want and defend it. Perhaps this hasn't yet been done---but it would be wise to survey the roads for currently usable and preferred roadways for bikes. Unused roads like the switchback trails that lead from Kensington to the valley could be ''adopted'' by bike clubs, restored and narrowed so they are useless for any other transport vehicle. Cyclists need to think in terms of carving out their own spaces rather than wait for some @#$%! politician to do anything but nothing on the matter, and a sense of locals creating their own thoroughfares where they can would do much for a community of commuters. It would be safer in the long run, too. re separate bike paths: the problem is that they get filled up with strollers, dog walkers and all manner of pedestrians. The result is a clamp down on bike speed and traffic calming bike path furniture. Fine for weekend recreational cyclists, but not good for commuting. Examples: Mn lake paths, East Palomar in CV, Sweetwater River path, Harbor Dr along airport. Better to get rid of on-street parking, provide adequate bike lane space, calm traffic on arterial roadways, and get rid of free right turns. Do these and the cyclists will come and the motorists will adapt. Multi-million dollar bike path detours around every "scary" section of roadway is not an economically viable solution, and projects like that arguably exacerbate the root problem: people grossly overestimate the dangers of riding a bike in traffic, particularly if they take the time to learn the skills that allow for doing it to be very safe. "How can I trust that the driver is going to be paying attention and will see me?" YOU CAN'T! So ride accordingly! That is, don't put yourself in a situation that requires trusting that the driver is going to be paying attention and will see you. Wait until you have confirmation that the driver is paying attention and sees you before putting yourself in such a situation. Bicycling in traffic, like motorcycling, may require more attention than many are willing to give. Dedicated bike lines separate from the roadway solve two major problems for cyclists -- dangerous automobile traffic and potholed road surfaces. Getting dedicated bike lanes will require a major integrated public education/awareness campaign that includes print, radio, TV and internet as well as vigorous importuning of government agencies at public hearings. You might hire campaign strategist Larry Remer to run it. I think Critical Mass rides are certainly one way to begin to get public attention, but body armor will be necessary for participating cyclists. Good luck: safe cycling is an idea whose time definitely has come. Go for it. If you want to make cycling important to the city, tie it together with the tourist industry. In fact that concept ought to hit the table downtown. With the ever increasing increase in the cost of gas, coupled with our outstanding mediterranean climate, San Diego has the potential to be America's Finest Cycling City, and an attraction for cycling tourists. All this takes is actually making suitable bikeways that people really want to ride. This of course can be a combination of gracious paths, and bike boulevards suitable to attract a tourist trade, and interconnected throughout the city with suitable bike routes to allow easy access to all the city has to offer. Recognizing the potential of a cycling tourist industry in the face of rising fuel costs is key to establishing funding for extensive projects to ecourage this industry in our town. Reader feedback
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